Sacrifice of the Septimus: Part 1 (Afterlife saga Book 7)

by Stephanie Hudson

  Pip had sulked all right but not for long. And I can’t imagine which well-dressed trouble maker had reminded her that this wouldn’t be her only chance at throwing me the rude sex party of her dreams. Personally I think they had both schemed this from the start knowing it would play out this way and what was I left with…?

  One pissed off Supernatural king to deal with...! As usual, I thought bitterly.

  “It’s not happening Keira and that is the end of it.” This is what he started off saying and eventually I got him down to Ragnar not leaving my side and it being held at the club. To be honest I was fine with this as it wasn’t something I was particularly looking forward to either. I knew I would have hated the idea of Draven being thrown a Stag do, which if I recalled from Frank’s wasn’t exactly just about a few guys all sat round drinking beer and watching a game. I think I remember something about poor Frank passing out after one too many slippery nipple shots and waking up to find half his body covered in temporary Disney princess tattoos.

  “This isn’t funny,” Draven scorned me and I laughed again.

  “You don’t even know what I was laughing about,” I replied and couldn’t help but smile at the way Draven was acting. He was pacing our room with his arms folded after nearly tearing his t shirt with the rough treatment it received when pulling it over his head. Basically he was acting like a ten year old that had been banned from TV for a week.

  “Oh I can only imagine with that nezbedný Imp involved!”

  “Oi! Now that is out of order! She is my friend and you have no right to call her that!” I shouted getting up and putting my hands on my hips, making a stand in a way that I hoped translated into ‘you have gone too far mister!’. Only for some reason this made him smile which had me wondering if I had gotten the ‘pissed off’ stance wrong…that or I still had chocolate round my mouth from my muffin and tea earlier.

  “What do you think nezbedný means?” he asked smirking at me and I frowned in return.

  “I don’t know but it sounds just awful!” I snapped making him laugh.

  “Draven,” I said his name in warning and his face softened. Then before I could take a breath he was inches away from me, thanks to supernatural super speed and was lifting my face up with a single finger under my chin.

  “It means ‘Naughty’ in Czech.” I curled my lips inwards before then biting the bottom one and said,

  “Ah...well, that’s alright then.” This made him chuckle down at me before he said,

  “What am I to do with you my little wife?” I rolled my eyes at this new pet name, making him smile, no doubt because he loved teasing me as men often do.

  “You know I think I prefer Vixen,” I grumbled and he ran his hand down the side of my face before saying,

  “I bet you do…but you know… I find myself growing hard every time I get to call you ‘my wife’.” He whispered this last part down in my ear and I gasped in surprise. Then we both looked down to find what only he knew we would find…

  “You’re hard!” I couldn’t help but shout, shocked it had been the truth. He laughed and said,

  “Well would you look at that…how did that happen I wonder?” I looked back up at him and he winked at me, making me blush.

  “You’re funny,” I said laughing and loving how playful he could be with me.

  “It’s a rarity I know but let’s just keep it a secret as I’m not sure Kings are supposed to be funny.” I winked back at him, held my little finger up and said,

  “Pinky promise, your secret is safe with me...” I bit my lip again before throwing him some sass.

  “Besides, I’m not sure anyone would believe me.” Then I kissed him on the cheek and walked away, grinning when I heard him growl behind me.

  “Oh that’s it Vixen, you are gonna get it this time!” he promised and I did the typical girl thing, shrieking when he began to chase me. I ran around the sofa and stopped with him on one side and me on the other. We both looked at each other trying to judge which way the other would go.

  “You’re getting slow in your old age Draven but don’t worry, I will keep you young,” I teased winking at him and his eyes flashed purple as this time his Demon responded for him…the growl though, well that was all Draven.

  I jumped when he chose his side and I ran the other way, not having a shot at getting away. He jumped over the sofa, as graceful as a jungle cat and I laughed and giggled when he caught me around the waist before hoisting me up over his shoulder.

  “Let me down! I don’t want you to throw your back out old man!” I shouted and he replied by locking my legs down against his chest and tickling my sides.

  “Come on…where’s my sweet little piggy snort?” he asked and that was it, one more dig with his fingers under my arms and I was a goner! I snorted and snorted until tears appeared and Draven’s deep laughter was masked out by the sound of my inner farm animal.

  “Let me down! Enough…enoughhaaaaa...pleeeeeease stop!” I pleaded and finally he stopped and asked,

  “Sorry what was that about old man? I didn’t quite catch it” He held his hand over my ticklish sides and I knew what I should have said to get out of this delicious torture…but what can I say, I’ve always been a few peas short of a casserole!

  “I said its okay, I have the chiropractor on speed dial and heat packs in the cupboard!” He laughed once in disbelief before promising me my punishment.

  “Oh little girl, you just made a big…big …mistake. I can torture you, my beautiful little wife for days without breaking a sweat.” I gulped and then screamed when he smacked my ass playfully. He then took two long strides to the bed and threw me back effortlessly, so that when I landed I bounced twice. I was panting hard at what beautiful torture he had in mind and looking up at my masterful husband about to issue such punishment was enough to dampen my inner thighs in a few fluttering heartbeats.

  “Oh what fun I am going to have playing with you, my love,” he promised and just as he was grabbing the t shirt back over his head a knock sounded at the door. I don’t know why but I covered my mouth with my hands when he growled…and this time it wasn’t a happy, excited one.

  “Leave us!” he snapped but the door opened anyway and before I saw that it was his sister, I wondered who had a death wish. However, Draven had little to no control over his sister, so our blood free day could continue...now if it had been Pip, I wouldn’t have been so sure.

  “You know sister, there is a very good reason I don’t just walk into your private quarters and intrude on you and your husband.” Draven said this through gritted teeth.

  “Because you’re boring?” she asked and I snorted behind my hands which got me a warning look from Draven, one I could never take seriously.

  “Because I understand the concept of privacy,” he corrected, turning back to her after I received my one eyebrow raise, one that I must mention was as sexy as it was hot in Hell, and I could say this being what felt like a frequent visitor.

  “Yes, well my dear brother that is what you call ‘life’s a bitch, when you’re the one in charge’ so as usual it is left up to me, being the one with breasts, to inform you that your presence is needed elsewhere.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at this, understanding exactly what she meant. Interrupting Draven when he was enjoying his alone time with me was bad enough for his own sibling. But if you were anyone else and had dangly man bits then it would have been so much worse, considering what they most likely would see if opening that door…something Sophia had no shame in witnessing I might add.

  Draven didn’t really have much of an answer to this as she was right. Draven was and always would be the captain of this Supernatural ship, which meant a heavy responsibility, one I had only had a slight taste of once before.

  Actually since having to hold my own council meeting back when we had to decide how we were going to save Draven, I had become a lot more understanding of his position. Being the one in charge more often than not sounded better than it was. But in reality e
very choice you made was one made for the benefit of others and your own personal gain or loss and opinions had to take a back seat…well, unless it was about me and then as far as Draven was concerned to Hell with the consequences!

  Let it be noted that I would have liked to have been a smart ass here and say, ‘look where that attitude had gotten us’ but the simple fact was that Draven and I had both survived everything that had been thrown at us and so far none of it had stuck. We were both still alive, together and fighting on the same side, despite all the lies, betrayals and blood spilled.

  “Fine!” Draven snapped and I tried not to react when Sophia rolled her eyes behind him.

  “Will you join me?”

  “We will follow shortly, we just need to have a little girl talk. You go ahead Dom.” Sophia answered for me and with one completely different to the one I would have chosen.

  “Girl talk,” Draven grumbled knowing this was most likely Sophia code for ‘bugger off’. This time I couldn’t help but smile when yet another Draven sibling was rolling their eyes at the other. Only this time it was coming from my husband when he lovingly pulled me to my feet and off the bed only to then smooth back the hair from my face.

  “Don’t keep the chair next to mine empty for long love. A Queen’s place is beside her King.” I blushed and so as not to ruin the moment by releasing a nervous snort, I kept it simple and safe with a nod. He smiled at me as he ran a thumb over my heated cheek and then whispered,

  “Parfait.” I was about to ask him what he meant when Sophia cleared her throat and Draven closed his eyes as if for the first time in his forever, hating his job. So I placed my hand on his cheek and whispered back…

  “Deep breaths sweetheart.” His eyes snapped open and before I knew what was happening he said,

  “The world can wait!” He pulled me forward suddenly and took no time before kissing me like it was to be our last for the rest of the year. This time no amount of throat clearing would have worked as we both lost ourselves in the kiss, not giving a damn about the rest of the world as like he said…

  The world could wait.

  Shortly after this Draven left to go to his council meeting and Sophia wasted no time in proving that she was not only my sister-in-law but a true friend first.

  “Thank Lucifer, I never thought he was going to leave.” I frowned bending down to search for my runaway trainer that decided under the bed was a fun place to hide.

  “Why, what’s up?” I asked giving up on trying to hook it out with an outstretched hand and instead shimmying half my body under there…thinking that Supernatural cleaners obviously didn’t get the memo that beds in the human world weren’t immune to dust bunnies. Jesus but these bad boys could devour me whole or at least take an arm off!

  “Bloody hell Sophia, not to be harsh but I would sack your cleaner. I think the dust bunnies down here just took my trainer as a hostage!”

  “What on Earth’s plane are you doing down there?” Sophia asked sounding frustrated.

  “Looking for my shoe, aha, got ya…! OUCH!” I banged my head when I tried to wiggle my way out once I got the shoe and the next thing I knew I was being dragged out. I rolled to my back and looked up to find Sophia looking down at me like I had two heads, so I lifted up my shoe and said,

  “See, found it,” giving it a wiggle.

  “Keira this is serious,” she said after rolling her eyes and letting go of my leg with a thud. I mouthed the word ‘oww’ and rubbed the heel of my foot when she turned her back on me. I got up and kicked my feet into my worn trainers after smacking the dust off the right one and like her and her brother, rolled my eyes at the ‘lost sole’ that I gathered had been sacrificed to the dust demons that lived under there.

  “Okay, so I’m listening… what’s up?” It was only when I saw her face that I knew something wasn’t just up…it was way up, as in resting in Heaven and couldn’t get any higher.

  “Sophia, what is it?”

  “There is someone that I need to tell you about, well more like someone… someone that came back to Afterlife that works…” I held up my hand to stop her and said,

  “Let me guess, names Ranka and looks the spitting image of someone that no doubt has a picture of my head on a dart board…actually, scratch that, let’s be honest and just go with my picture on a wall that she throws knives at…that kind of someone?”

  “Wait, how did you…oh hell no, please tell me that he didn’t?!” Sophia said interrupting herself with the right answer to her own question.

  “Oh hell yes, he totally did.” I replied giving her that ‘yes your brother can be an idiot sometimes’ kind of look.

  “Men! Seriously, what was he thinking?” She scowled and I decided to give him a break and point out the only saving grace he had.

  “In his defence, he did say that she only just turned up minutes before I walked through the door and I do feel kind of bad for trying to strangle her.” This is when Sophia laughed. Trust the Demon in the room to find this part funny.

  “Well I can’t say I blame you. Did he at least explain who she is?”

  “Uh…well…no but we kind of…”

  “You just had sex didn’t you?” And that was Sophia. She just came right out and said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world…what was I saying? Of course it was, she had her own damn orgy room for Christ sake!

  “I…we…I…” She laughed as I struggled to find the right answer and thankfully gave me a break.

  “I get it.” She said first patting me on the back before smoothing out the none existent wrinkles on her designer dress. It was a stunning midnight blue colour, cut with a sweetheart neckline, capped sleeves and continued down into a tight pencil skirt outlining her lush curves. It was finished off with a thick white sash tied around the waist into a classic bow to one side. To be honest just looking at her white high heeled shoes and I was scrunching up my toes in my comfy trainers, ones that had definitely seen better days.

  “Get what exactly?” I asked finding myself straightening my twisted T shirt that was simple black and had a faded peace sign on the front that I had worn so much it was one wash away from losing the design altogether.

  “Nothing gets the blood pumping quite like a fight and nothing calms that blood quite like ending that fight in bed…and knowing how often you two lock your horns, then it’s a natural assumption, or in this case a certainty, given that very human blush you are sporting.” She laughed when my hands flew to my cheeks and found them hot.

  “Fine! So we had sex.” I snapped when she smirked at me.

  “Glad to hear it! Centuries later and Zagan is still a beast in the bedroom…real Demons always are.” This time I received a wink and I had to sod caring about my blush as I knew a comment like this and it would only get worse.

  “Right well now we have today’s awkward sex chat out of the way can we move on to you telling me exactly who this woman is.” Sophia’s reaction to this surprised me. She threw her hands up in the air dramatically and then let herself fall backwards onto the sofa saying,

  “How to explain Ranka.”

  “Sophia?” Okay so now her reaction had me really worried. She nodded to the seat opposite her and I lowered myself into it slowly not taking my eyes off her.

  “Where to start,” she muttered to herself, letting her head fall back to the sofa and looking up to the ceiling as if that held the answers.

  “Ranka has been with us from the beginning.” This shocked me.

  “As in…the very beginning?” I asked and Sophia nodded.

  “Since all our first memories even began, the memory of Ranka will be there to find. I would like to say she has served my family since that very first day but this would be a lie…or at the very least a gross exaggeration of the truth.”

  “What are you trying to tell me, Sophia?” I asked shaking my head, not really understanding what she was saying exactly.

  “She only ever served Dom.” At this I closed my eyes as it f
inally dawned on me.

  “Please Sophia, tell me I don’t have another bitter ex-lover on my hands.” I asked still not being able to open my eyes to the truth.

  “No, that’s not what I am saying…exactly.” I winced at the way she said this last bit.

  “Please just put me out of my misery.” I pleaded.

  “They have never slept together, not given how my brother has always respected her.” Sophia finally said and even though it was the answer I wanted to hear, it also wasn’t. I knew there were people in Draven’s world he respected and as for the ones I knew, I could count on them be loyal and trustworthy. But the problem with Ranka was that I didn’t know her and had to trust Draven’s judgement…

  One that had been wrong before.

  “So I should trust her?” I decided to just come out and ask it but Sophia’s response I wasn’t expecting. She took a deep breath, leaned forward so her elbows rested on her knees and interlocked her hands under her chin. Then her eyes slowly met mine and she said,

  “I’m not saying that.”

  “Then what are you saying?”

  “I am saying that you need to be careful. Just because she is loyal to my brother that does not mean she is also loyal to those he cares deeply about...tell me you understand what I am saying here.” Oh I knew what she was saying alright.

  “She’s in love with him.” The words were hard to say but not as hard as the reality was to swallow.

  “My guess, she always has been, which makes her as powerful an ally to Dom as it does an enemy to you. Oh and just so you know, Dom knows nothing about this little chat of ours and would be, shall we say, less than happy to find out about it.”

  “Got it.” And I really did. Draven hated me keeping things from him about as much as I hated him keeping things from me.

  “Right, we’d best get to that meeting then.” Sophia said, obviously feeling better now I was pre-warned. However she was the only one as I was just left with more questions. Lucky for me then the place Draven held his meetings was a good ten minute walk away.